Show-case.



G. J. JOHNSON.

SHOW CASE.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 12, 1909.

961, 1 37, Patented June 14, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR ANDREW a GRANAM 00., PHoTmuTmuRm-mms. WASHMGTON. a c

0. J. JOHNSON. SHOW CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1909.

961,1 37, Patented June 14, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES 1W VENTOR ANDREW a. GRAHAM CD" vflovo-umocumm WASMINGYON, n. a

CHAR-LES J. JOHNSON, OE CHICAGO, ILLINGIS.

SHOdFCASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1910.

pplication filed July 12, 1365. Serial E o. 587,167.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. JOHNSON, citizen of the United States, residing at- Chicago, in the county of Cook and btate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Show-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to show cases, and especially to fasteners for glass show cases, the principal object being to provide an improved fastening which can be used without drilling holes in the glass and which requires no rivets for its adjustment. Rivets are objectionable, because in drilling the holes the glass is frequently broken, and in using a case having holes and rivets the jarring of the case in opening or closing the doors will cause it to often crack at the riveted holes.

A further object of the invention is to provide fasteners which do not require that the corners of the glass plates be cut off, and the edges of the glass do not have to be grooved, or recessed. No screws nor bolts of any kind are needed, and the fastening devices can be used on cases of any shape. The top edges of the glass sides are protected and breakage thereof is prevented.

The invention comprises a metal molding which fits upon the top edges of the side walls, and on which the top plate of the case rests. In addition to the metal molding, fastenings for the corners are provided for holding the side walls and top in proper relation, together with intermediate fasteners for holding the top, as will more fully appear from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a case provided with the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail in section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of a corner fastening; Fig. 4, is a detail in perspective of the intermediate fastening; and Fig. is a front view, showing the assembled devices at one corner of the case.

Referring specifically to the drawings, (3 indicates the front, 7 the ends, and 8 the top of the case, which parts will preferably be made of glass. The front and side pieces are set in grooves in the top of a base frame 9, usually made of marble or wood.

Upon the upper edges of the front and end walls is fitted a metal molding consisting of a channel with depending flanges 21 and 22. This is made of sheet metal bent or pressed to proper form, and the depending flanges embrace, or fit on opposite sides of, the walls. On the under side the molding is lined with felt, as indicated at 28, and the ends of the molding are mitered where they meet at the corners. At the end of the molding adjacent to the back of the case, it has an off-set tongue 2st, adapted and arranged to engage in the post, or wood piece, 25 at the back of the case. The end of the channel, or molding, is closed by the crossflange 26, which prevents the molding from slipping lengthwise with respect to the glass; and the engagement of the tongue 24 in the wood post prevents any lateral movement of the end pieces 7.

The corner fastener comprises an angular plate 10, having branches at right angles to each other, or otherwise according to the shape of the case. This plate fits upon the molding at the corner of the case, and it has flanges 11 at its inner edge which fit within or behind the flanges of the molding, and consequently behind the margins of the front and side walls near the junction thereof, and said walls may meet with either a beveled or a butt joint.

At the opposite ends of the angular plate, and in posit-ion opposite to the flanges 11, are depending tongues 12, which fit respectively against the outer sides of the front 6 or side wall 7 of the case, and these tongues also fit or project into recesses or notches 27, which are cut at proper places in the outer flange 22 of the molding, and so interlock there that relative movement of the corner pieces and the molding is prevented. Said tongues 12 fit against the outer sides of the front and side walls of the case and so serve to hold said walls in position. At its outer margin the plate 10 is provided with lips 13 bent up to form an angle in which the corner of the top 8 fits. It will thus be seen that the edges of the front (3 and the side 7 are gripped between the flanges of the channeled molding and. also between the flanges l1 and the tongues 12 of the corner fastenings. Said tongues and flanges prevent any movement of the front and ends with respect to each other and the lips 13 prevent any shift or lateral movement of the top.

Each piece of the molding will be stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal, of suffieient length to extend along the wall of the case to which it is applied. The whole corner piece will also be pressed or stamped out of sheet metal. A piece of felt 14 will be cemented to the top of the plate 10 for the glass to rest on, and pieces of felt 28 will also be cemented to the top of the molding, for the glass to rest on, and the felt applied to the molding will be of double thickness in order to compensate for the corner pieces. Or, in other words, the felt on the molding is as thick as the corner pieces and the felt thereon, so that a level edge is provided all around for the glass top to rest on.

The top is further held in proper position with respect to the front and sides by means of intermediate fasteners, which will be particularly useful where the top is formed of two or more pieces, the fastener being applied at the oint between said pieces. Each of said intermediate fasteners consists of a plate 15, provided with depending tongues 16, which also fit in notches 2.7 in the outer flange of the molding and thus rest against the outer side of the wall of the case. The plate 15 has an inner depending flange 17 to fit against the inner side, or edge, of the molding, and at its front or outer edge has a lip 18 which projects upwardly and engages the outer edge of the top. A piece of felt 19 is placed on the top of the plate 15 for the glass top to rest on. The top edge of the side wall of the case to which this intermediate fastening is applied is gripped by the tongues 16 and the flange 17, and said tongues and flanges, as well as the tongues and flanges of the corner fastenin are preferably bent in slightly, so that they take hold with a spring grip on the molding and the upper edge of the glass, and so accidental displacement thereof is prevented. The tongues 16 engage in the notches 27 holding the fastening against lateral shift or movement. The intermediate fastening above described is also particularly useful where the front or vertical wall of the case is made in two pieces with a vertical joint, and said fastening will be applied to the joint, with one of the tongues 16 holding each part of the front or wall.

By means of the devices described the 'alls of the case may be fastened together without drilling holes therein, and thus may be quickly and easily assembled. The weight of the glass top will be suflicient to prevent accidental movement thereof, and

said weight assists in holding the fasteners in place.

I claim:

1. The combination with the top and the side walls of a show case, of channels fitting on the upper edge of the side walls, with flanges depending on opposite sides of said walls, the flanges on one side being notched, and corner fasteners fitting over the ends of the channels at the corners of the case, between the top of the case and said channel, and having projections engaging in said notches.

2. The combination with top and the side walls of a show case, of channels fitting on the upper edges of the side walls, with depending flanges on opposite sides of the said walls, said channels having recesses therein, and fasteners located between the channels and the top of the case at the joints between said walls, said fasteners having depending projections engaging in said recesses, to lock the channels together and also having proj ecting lips engaging the edges of the top.

3. The combination with the top and side walls of a show case, of channels fitting on the upper edges of said walls and extending along the same, and fasteners having interlocking engagement with said channels and located between said channels and the top, and having lips engaging the edge of the top.

t. The combination with the top and side walls of a show case, of channels fitting on and extending along the upper edge of the side walls, the flanges of the channels being notched adjacent the ends thereof, and fasteners comprising plates fitting between the channels and the top of the case, said plates having tongues depending into said notches.

The combination with the top and side walls of a show case, of channels located between the top and the upper edge of the side walls and having flanges engaging opposite sides of said edge, and fasteners comprising plates located between the channels and the top and having depending parts embracing said channels and lips engaging the outer edge of the top.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. JOHNSON.

lVitnesses l\L\L('OLM A. DARROCH, lVM. J. ROBINSON. 

